Machine for dyeing fabrics



J. DUNGLER July 15, 1952 MACHINE FOR .DYEING FABRICS Filed Aug. 31, 1946 INVEWR flew DUNGLER B4 0 Patented July 15, 1952 UNITED STATES OFFICE Application August 31, 1945, Serial No. 694,273

' In France May 20, 1946 (or. as-43) 6 Claims.

The invention refers to a machine for dyeing fabrics at full width, and has as one of its objects the provision of simple means enabling in a relatively small space, in an economical and convenient manner, the passing of fabric in continuous length through a single apparatus and as man times as may be necessary with alternate impregnations and squeezings, either without the use of a trough, or with a single trough, selectively.

The machine according to the invention, which constitutes a sort of horizontal or dye crabbing machine, is characterized by the fact that it comprises a set of horizontal crab rollers which are pressed by pressure means against one another, with their axes in the same horizontal. plane, or in a slightly inclined plane, and between which the fabric passes in continuous length one or several times.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the rollers are arranged in side by side relation and form trough-shaped spaces between each pair of rollers in contact with each other, which spaces are used as dye vats, so that the whole roller assembly comprises a number of bath containing the same composition or different compositions, the total number of baths being one less than the number of rollers co-operating with each other.

In a modified form of the invention, use i made of two superposed rows f rollers which are so arranged that two upper rollers form with one lower roller a trough which is used as a dye vat.

According to another embodiment of the invention, all the rollers are arranged in a shallow trough forming a dye reservoir, preferably covering the rollers so as to keep the fabric immersed throughout its course in the trough.

These embodiments are described hereinafter and are illustrated diagrammatically in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figs. 1 and 2 are, respectively, a vertical section and a plan view of a horizontal multipleroller dyeing machine without a trough.

Fig. 3 is a view in vertical section of a machine in modified form.

In the first embodiment (Figs. 1 and 2), I are rollers which have their axes in the same horizontal plane (or in a slightly inclined plane), and which are held pressed against one another by known pressure means which may have either mechanical or hydraulic action; in this latter case, two hydraulic cylinders exert pressure on the bearings of an end roller. Each two adjacent rollers l define troughs with cylindrical sidewalls, which are used as dye vats 2. The liquidtightness at the end of said trough can be obtained in a manner described in detail with reference to Fig. 3 in applicants co-pending U. S. patent application Ser. No. 696,173, filed on September 11, 1946, now U. S. Patent No. 2,511,625. Of each two adjacent rollers one is provided at each end with joint means in the form of a sealing cheek 3 which is mounted on the spindle of the respective roller, is of sufficient size to form a flat end wall for the reservoir-trough 2, and is pressed due to its own springiness, against the end surfaces of the roller which carries it and of the two contiguous rollers.

The fabric (5 successively passes through the vats 2 and is subjected to a squeezing action each time it passes, its being possible for the baths of said vats to be of the same composition, or of different compositions, or densities, or temperatures.

In the embodiment of Fig. 3, two superposed rows of rollers l, I are used and are grouped tangentially in such a manner that two upper rollers I which are tangentially pressed against a lower roller I limit a reservoir-trough forming a vat 2, an intermediate return roller 52 being arranged between the successive upper rollers.

It is of course understood that the invention is in no way limited to particular embodiments and that it is possible without exceeding'its scope, to imagine modifications and improvements of details Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent, is: s

1. In a machine for wet treating fabric in the piece comprising a plurality of rollers arranged in side by side relation and in substantially parallel and horizontal direction to one another, said rollers including at least one intermediate roller having an axle and two rollers contiguous to said intermediate roller, all of said rollers being provided with respective aligned end faces, both said contiguous rollers being in contact engagement with said intermediate roller, and a sealing disk fixed to said axle at each end face of said intermediate roller and rotatable with the latter, said disks extending in radial direction in contact with and beyond said end faces of said intermediate roller to the respective end faces said end faces of and between said intermediate roller and one of said contiguous rollers, and

driving means facilitating passage of said fabric between said contiguous and intermediate roller and through said cavities.

2. In a machine for wet treating fabric in the piece comprising a plurality of rollers arranged in side by side relation to one another and including at least one intermediate roller and two rollers contiguous to said intermediate roller, all said rollers being provided with respective end faces and with axles extending beyond said end faces, means exerting pressure against said axles to maintain contact engagement between both said contiguous rollers and said intermediate roller to thereby define spaces for containing fluid for the treatment of said fabric, and sealing means fixed to the axle at each end face of said intermediate roller and movable therewith, said sealing means extending in radial direction beyond said end faces of said intermediate roller and in contact with the respective end faces of said contiguous rollers to thereby form end walls at said end faces of said intermediate and contiguous rollers and to prevent escape of said fluid in endwise direction of said rollers, and driving means passing said fabric through said spaces defined by said conti uous and intermediate rollers.

3. In a machine according to claim 2, wherein the outermost rollers of said plurality of rollers are devoid of said sealing means, whereas rollers positioned immediately adjacent said outermost rollers are each provided with said sealing means, which extend to the end faces of the next following rollers and to the end faces of said outermost rollers, respectively.

4. In a machine for wet treating fabric in the piece comprising a plurality of rollers arranged in substantially parallel and horizontal direction to one another and including at least one intermediate roller and two rollers contiguous to said intermediate roller, said rollers being provided with respective end faces and with respective axles extending from said end faces and being arranged in substantially one and the same plane, means engaging said axles of said rollers to press the latter in liquid-tight contact with each other, and sealing means fixed to the axle of said intermediate roller and in contact with the end faces of the latter, said sealing means being rotatable in unison with said intermediate roller and extending in radial direction beyond said end faces of said intermediate roller and in contact with predetermined portions of the respective end faces of said contiguous rollers to thereby define spaces for liquid extending between said intermediate roller and said contiguous rollers and their respective end faces, and driving means passing said fabric through said spaces thus defined, the extent of said predetermined portions 4 being less than the diameter of each contiguous roller.

5. A machine for wet treating fabric comprising a framework, a plurality of substantially horizontal outer rollers and intermediate rollers, respectively, all said rollers being provided with axles and being rotatably mounted on said framework, means engaging the axles of all said rollers for pressing said rollers against one another, means fixed to and carried by the axles of a predetermined number of the intermediate rollers for obtaining liquid tightness at the ends of said predetermined number of said intermediate rollers and of rollers positioned adjacent the intermediate rollers so as to provide a plurality of troughs between said intermediate rollers and said adjacent rollers, means operatively connected to said rollers for rotating the same, and means for passing said fabric at least once between said rollers, said troughs forming baths for containing liquid for treating said fabric, the number of troughs being equal to the number of all said rollers less 1.

6. A machine for wet-treating fabric, comprising a framework, a plurality of substantially horizontally extending rollers, each pair of rollers including an intermediate roller provided with opposite end faces, all of said rollers being rotatably mounted on said framework and having axles positioned in one and the same plane, means engaging said axles and adapted to press said rollers against one another, means attached to the axles of and abutting against the respective end faces of said intermediate rollers and rotatable with the latter to thereby obtain liquid tightness between the end faces of said intermediate rollers and of the remaining rollers to which said last named means, respectively, project, whereby a plurality of troughs for holding liquids are obtained between said intermediate rollers and said remaining rollers, and means directing said fabric at least once between all of said rollers.

JULIEN DUNGLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in tin file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,946,627 Karrer Feb. 13, 1934 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 22,351 Great Britain Sept. 3, 1898 8,288 Great Britain Sept, 7, 1911 595,566 Germany Apr. 14, 1934 

